Taxi and Private Hire Trade (1)

David Kurten: Do you consider that drivers within the taxi/PH industry are sometimes exploited? What do you consider as the causes of such exploitation?

The Mayor: The working arrangements of taxi and private hire drivers are varied. Many are self-employed and they can therefore choose who they work for and the terms and conditions that they are willing to accept.
Drivers should have the reassurance that they can receive a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, within a secure working environment. I consider that the number of hours that some private hire drivers work in order to earn a living is far from ideal, and that some will feel that levels of pay necessitate personal decisions to work long hours.
As Mayor, I am committed, using the powers I have, to driving up working standards for Londoners in a range of jobs. Unfortunately, I do not have any powers to legislate for improved standards to address exploitation in the on-demand economy, as this sits with central Government. If I did have these powers, it goes without saying that I would use them.
However, I am exploring options for promoting good working practices for London businesses including those within the private hire sector and calling on them to commit to paying their drivers the London Living Wage. For any industry to grow sustainably, the relationship between the businesses and the people those businesses use to carry out services must be more transparent and fair.